Rags to Riches Bob Jenkins 19 XP

I hope to try out Bob Jenkins soon, but I don't foresee getting 80 XP to build this crazy deck in any campaign I've heard about.

Here's a simple deck that leans into Bob's "big money" possibilities and builds up to Well Connected (3), a card I had never previously considered. Afterwards there's always the option to experiment with cards that involve more actions, likely The Black Fan and Eon Chart. But there are lots of others: Borrowed Time, Haste, Leo De Luca, Pay Day and The Red Clock.

I figure this version of Bob is a clue-finder who can operate alone and dispatch most of the enemies in a campaign. But he would need another investigator as the dedicated fighter for enemies with 5+ health.

In a campaign it would be tempting to start out with In the Thick of It and Charon's Obol for the bonus experience, but it's not without risks!

0 XP: Life as a Small-Time Operator

Swap in the 7 side deck cards for the experienced cards to get the 0 XP campaign starter.

For the mulligan hold on to Scavenging, Lucky Cigarette Case (card draw), Faustian Bargain, and Lone Wolf (money).

First gear up! Shrewd Dealings and Schoffner's Catalogue can stretch your starting resources.

Then use a Flashlight, Lantern, or Old Keyring to go get those clues! Don't hesitate to commit Rabbit's Foot, which can be Scavenged back later. You can do that trick anytime there's nothing better to dig up.

For combat, you'd love to throw your empty flashlight if you have that combination; it refunds the $2, possibly earning a profit if you bought it with Shrewd Dealings. But it pays to have another weapon equipped in case you miss.

You should have no problem passing tests given the many skill cards, Live and Learn, and the Heavy Furs.

Once you have Lucky Cigarette Case and/or Scavenging, aim for an over-success each turn for the free card from the draw pile and discard pile.

up to 7 XP: The New "Business Partner"

With some experience ditch your drinking buddy Peter in favor of a key "business" partner: Joey "The Rat" (3).

He lets you sell any item for $2, which generates targets for Scavenging. In a pinch he can even fast-equip a weapon for an unexpected fight!

8-15 XP Moving Up in the Syndicate

Swap out both copies of Act of Desperation for Backpack (2), a key card that pulls items from your draw pile, holds them like an "extended hand", and thins out your deck. And when empty it's more fodder for flipping $2 via Joey.

Then add an improved Lucky Cigarette Case (3), making it turn up more reliably and offering deck search.

At this point you should be looking good! Extra cash can pay for items of your fellow investigators, or buy them spare items from your deck. You now have three methods to surface the right card for the situation: Backpack (2), Scavenging, and Lucky Cigarette Case (3).

16-19 XP: Making Friends in High Places

Unscrupulous Loan (3) can lead to faster starts and could take the bite out of your signature weakness.

Well Connected (3) should make over-success easy, reliably earning the free cards from Lucky Cigarette Case and Scavenging.

20+ XP: Bob Jenkins, Mafia Don

Now that you've got the money situation figured out, consider items that grant extra actions like The Black Fan or Eon Chart.

I hope to try this out soon, please comment with any feedback or ideas!